News came through today that our team member Josh Goldberg has been awarded a PhD degree for his research on the “Detection and Removal of Degradation Products from Liquid Systems”. Congratulations, Josh!

We have got a fixed term Postdoctoral Research Associate position in a research council-funded Smart Laboratory Automation pilot project available.

An excellent first degree in a relevant science or engineering discipline (e.g. Analytical Science, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics) is required. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr Sven Schroeder on the implementation of automated laboratory workflows, as part of a smart chemical laboratory concept with electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that is piloted within the EPSRC Dial-a-Molecule Grand Challenges network.

The successful candidate must have experience in computer programming and the installation of operating systems and applications software for scientific instruments, data acquisition hardware and associated software drivers. You will also be a self motivated individual with strong problem-solving ability and willingness to work both independently and in collaboration.

The successful candidate will work closely together with other Research Associates in our laboratory. The project requires liaison through project meetings with partner groups at the University of Southampton. At the end of the project the candidate will write an academic publication for a high impact journal. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the safe management of the laboratory environment.

It was announced today that the VERSOX soft X-ray spectroscopy beamline project at DIAMOND Light Source Ltd has been funded. Sven was one of the original proposers of this project, and as a member of the VERSOX Working Group he contributed to developing the case for supporting this beamline project. This beamline will provide our research team with a unique instrument for studying local interactions in organic materials, their nucleation – and surface chemistry in general. What makes VERSOX unique is its versatility – extending the use of soft X-ray spectroscopy beyond its traditional confines in ultra-high vacuum surface physics and chemistry. For example, soft X-ray studies of ‘wet’ soft matter, practical catalytic systems, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, liquids and solutions will become possible for the first time in the UK. Right from the design stage the project will also take account of the needs of applied science and industrial users. As such it matches perfectly onto our research philosophy, which brings together fundamental science with its practical application.

We are part of the leadership team for the Versatile Soft X-ray Spectroscopy Beamline Project, which would be the first soft X-ray spectroscopy facility in the UK for the characterisation of liquids, soft matter and organic solids under control of environmental conditions. The Expression of Interest to build such a facility has now been submitted to DIAMOND Light Source Ltd.